


Fireblossom

by AyVee175



Series: Cliche on Purpose [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Childhood Friends, Copycat - Freeform, F/M, First Kiss, Kidnapping, Kind of cliche, Love Confessions, Love Triangle, Romance, Supernatural romance, cute nicknames
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-03-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:54:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23082046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AyVee175/pseuds/AyVee175
Summary: Aya Rosie Fergusund is a relatively normal nineteen-year-old girl living in the small town of Marville. She goes to college, lives with a kind old lady, and enjoys gardening in her free time. When she hears news that Leonardo Vincent Emiar, a very rich man who she knew as a child, is returning to Marville to find a wife, she is elated at the prospect of seeing her childhood friend/crush again. But Aya's biggest bully, Courtney Miriam Sarina, is dead set on marrying Leo, and she is determined to prevent Aya from getting in her way. Aya has another childhood friend/crush by the name of Devon Quincy Roneth, who she hasn't seen since she started high school. What will happen when Aya is forced to choose between Leo and Devon, the loves of her life, and how will Courtney factor into all of this?
Relationships: Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Series: Cliche on Purpose [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1658905





	Fireblossom

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I wrote this for a contest my friends and I did for fun. We wrote cliche love stories set at least partially in a school, and tried to make them as comically cliche as possible, with stereotyped characters, love triangles, etc. You know, the works. This was my entry into the contest, and it got me the win, so I figured I would post it here.

Once upon a time, in the year 1000 in some alternate universe, there was a girl named Aya Rosie Fergusund. Aya was very beautiful; she had eyes like the ocean, long wavy hair the color of autumn leaves, and her skin was tanned bronze from countless hours spent working in the sun. She was a bit small for her nineteen years, but she was always cheerful and optimistic. She didn't know her parents, so she lived with an older widow, Mrs. Fergusund, and made a living by tending gardens for the people in her town, Marville. Mrs. Fergusund was a kind and generous lady, with frizzy gray-brown hair, a dark complexion, and warm brown eyes that twinkled whenever she smiled. There were little wrinkles around her eyes and mouth that gave her the impression of someone who's seen a lot. She'd once said that Aya's mother had been called Sasha, but it wasn't her real name.

Marville was a beautiful, quaint little town in the countryside. It had been around for nearly a century, but the small town had really boomed a couple decades ago when a wealthy businessman, Terrence Emiar, had decided to build a mansion for his son there, and the construction workers needed a place to live. They brought their families with them, and some decided to settle down in the quiet, picturesque village. The town being called Marville earned the mansion the nickname ‘Marvel’.

Aya noticed one morning that the town was abuzz, so she asked Mrs. Fergusund what all the fuss was about.

Mrs. Fergusund replied, “Why, the Prince is coming to visit today!”

“The Prince? You don’t mean...”

“Leonardo Emiar? Of course! Who else would I be talking about?”

Leonardo Emiar, or “The Prince”, as he was commonly referred to, was the super-rich son of the multi-billionaire namesake of Emiar University, Terrence Emiar.

“But he hasn’t visited his mansion since it was built.”

“Yes, but rumor has it that soon, he’s going to hold a dance at Emiar University, and invite every single girl attending college there!” She continued. “The rumors say that at the dance, he’ll choose a girl to be his bride.”

“Really?!”

“Yeah. Do you have a dress to wear?”

Aya’s face fell. “No...” The fanciest piece of clothing she owned was a cerulean skirt with red roses embroidered on the hem, and she’d done that embroidery herself.

“Well, I've seen your skill with a needle and thread, and I have a plain linen dress that doesn't fit me anymore, so you can fix it up and wear it.” There was a tone of confidence in the older woman’s voice.

“That would be fantastic.”

“Alrighty then.” Mrs. Fergusund went inside and retrieved the dress.

“Thank you!” Aya exclaimed as she was handed the dress.

“And here’s your payment for my garden.” Mrs. Fergusund handed Aya $30.

She said another thank you over her shoulder as she went inside to her room. She had the perfect idea for how she would decorate the dress. Aya hung it up in the back of her closet and got dressed to go to class. She put on her favorite skirt, the aforementioned cerulean one with the roses on the hem, and a faded pink t-shirt.

This outfit was one of Aya’s favorites, and not just because of the skirt. She just liked it. Aya grabbed her things and headed off to her class. Her route was surprisingly devoid of students, but Aya just assumed that most of her peers were probably away on vacation or preparing for The Prince’s visit. Lo and behold, who should be the only people she met on her way to class, but the resident Kardashian wannabes of the school, Courtney Sarina and Rhea Dothan.

Courtney looked like someone with too much self esteem. She had bleach-blonde hair that she always wore in ringlets, a perpetual spray tan that always looked a bit too orange, and eyes like cobalt that were constantly staring daggers into Aya’s soul. Rhea on the other hand, appeared less entitled. Courtney's best friend had black hair that was usually in a ponytail, green eyes resembling the shadow-covered undergrowth in a forest, and a light complexion.

They saw her and started whispering to each other. Aya immediately knew that it was about her.

“Hey, garden girl!” Courtney called. “Are you going to the Prince’s dance?”

Rhea laughed. “Of course she isn’t! She could never afford a decent dress.”

They laughed and walked off. Aya smiled. She did have a dress, it just needed a little work.

On the way back to her dorm, Aya was skipping along happily, not looking where she was going, when suddenly, BAM! She bumped into someone and tripped. She landed on top of the person, books and papers flying everywhere. She felt her lips touch skin, and pulled away. Aya opened her eyes, and saw that she was on top of the Prince.

“Leo?” She said quietly.

“Can you get off me?” He asked, slightly annoyed.

“Oh! Sorry.” Aya got up and started picking up her papers and books. “And sorry I bumped into you. I wasn’t looking where I was going.”

“It’s… alright, I guess.” Leo said. “But why’d you call me Leo?”

“Uhhhhh… I’ve got to go!” Aya blushed in embarrassment and ran back to Mrs. Fergusund’s.

“Aya?” He asked himself.

That afternoon, the school sent out an announcement. In celebration of Leonardo’s return to Marville and the upcoming dance, there would be no classes for three weeks.

In her room, Aya did her homework and immediately went to a nearby craft store. She bought half a yard of sparkly cerulean fabric, one and a half yards of purple satin, a coil of wire, a packet of blue and purple sequins, a fabric marker, and several spools of blue and purple thread.

Aya returned to her room and laid out all of her supplies. She took the dress out of her closet and laid it out on the floor. It was a pretty pale blue color, with a round neckline and medium-length sleeves. Aya grabbed a fabric marker and began drawing petal shapes on the purple satin. This took her a couple of hours to complete, and afterwards, she put her marker away and went to sleep.

She woke up every morning for the next three weeks and immediately continued working on her dress. Mrs. Fergusund brought her food and made sure she ate it. She was so absorbed in her work that she lost track of time passing, and would often be working late into the night. She was hardly even aware of the outside world.

During those three weeks, Courtney and Rhea had gone out of town to have their dresses custom-made by the best seamstresses in the land. All three girls were unbelievably excited for the dance. Courtney had dumped her boyfriend to have a shot at marrying the Prince.

Aya just hoped he would remember her. When Leo’s mansion was still under construction, he’d lived in Marville with his nannies. One day, he had been out on a walk when he’d noticed Courtney taunting Aya by holding her toy out of her reach. He had stepped in to help Aya and grabbed her toy away from Courtney. He gave Aya her toy back and she asked if he wanted to play with her. He said yes, and they’d played on the playground for the rest of the day. Every day since then, Leo and Aya had gone on adventures together, exploring the forest and running around the town. When Leo had had to leave, Aya was devastated. She’d cried for hours after he’d gone, because her best friend, her only friend, had left. The last things he gave her were a jeweled pendant, her first kiss, and a promise to never forget her.

The night of the dance came, and Aya was taking her sweet time getting ready. She wanted to look perfect, so she could blow Courtney and Rhea away. Maybe they would finally leave her alone if she could just show them that she was capable of having a dress as exquisite as theirs, even though she wasn’t rich. Finally, she was ready.

Aya hurried as fast as she could to the dance, which was being held in the ballroom of the Prince’s mansion. She arrived at the doors, only to have her way blocked by the guards. She was late. They wouldn’t let her in because the ball had already started. She knew of another entrance, so she headed that way. As luck would have it, there were no guards at this entrance.

She headed inside and got to the ballroom, throwing open the huge double doors. Every head in the ballroom turned to stare at her. She turned red with embarrassment and hurried down the stairs, disappearing into the crowd. Everyone continued dancing and talking. Well, everyone except the Prince. He recognized Aya from when she’d bumped into him a few weeks before.

The Prince walked to where she’d disappeared. The crowd parted to let him through, but he didn’t see Aya anywhere. He turned around dejectedly to return to his seat, when a flash of auburn hair caught his eye. He looked over, and saw Aya hurrying away. “Wait!”

The crowd looked at him, and Aya paused. She continued running, and the Prince chased after her. She left the ballroom, trying to get as far away from it as possible. The Prince continued to chase her.

"Aya!" He called after her. She froze.

"Leo?" Aya turned around to face him. Her heart felt like it was going to jump out of her chest as he walked towards her. She'd forgotten how handsome he was.

Leo had smooth, slightly tousled golden blonde hair, a pale complexion like concrete, and deep emerald eyes. He walked towards her, disbelief on his face. “Is it really you, Tiger Lily?”

She nodded. “Hey Goldie.”

Goldie. Aya's nickname for him when they were kids. Aya pulled Leo into a tight hug. “I missed you.” He wrapped his arms around her, and they just stood like that for a while, enjoying the feeling of being in each other’s arms. Eventually, they pulled away from each other, and Leo looked at Aya.

“You kept your promise,” she said. “You said you would never forget me, and you didn’t.” Aya smiled, tearing up.

“Do you still remember when I kissed you?” He asked, still staring at her face.

Aya blushed. “I’ll never forget it,” she said.

“That was my first kiss.”

“Mine too.”

Leo put one hand on the back of Aya’s head, running it through her hair. He traced her jawline with his fingers before stopping at her chin. He tilted her head up so that she was looking at him.

“May I?”

Aya closed her eyes and nodded as Leo bent down and kissed her. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him back. He moved his other arm around her waist, pulling her closer. They were kissing passionately now, a red blush invading the lovers’ cheeks. Aya felt her lips part as Leo’s tongue entered her mouth. She opened her eyes in surprise, and saw that Leo’s expression was calm and relaxed, like he knew what he was doing.

The girl closed her eyes again and melted into Leo's arms. They stayed like that for a few moments, then pulled apart.

"Let me show you something." Leo said, holding Aya's hand. He led her to a hedge maze behind his mansion. "At the center of this maze is my private garden." Leo looked at Aya.

"Do you trust me?"

Aya took a deep breath. "Of course I do." She smiled at Leo and squeezed his hand.

They entered the maze, and Leo expertly led them to the center clearing. There was a beautiful marble building with a glass roof in the middle of the clearing. Leo let go of Aya's hand and pushed open the large mahogany doors. He beckoned for Aya to follow him inside.

The garden inside the building was absolutely stunning. Roses climbed the pillars around the room, orchids and vines criss-crossed the ceiling, hyacinths lined the walkway, hydrangeas and azaleas filled in the space. It smelled so sweet, and Aya could feel her body relaxing. Then, something in the center of the room caught her eye. There was a white and gold bench, beneath a cherry tree, in the middle of a patch of grass. Orange flowers were growing around it.

Aya gasped. "Are those…?"

"Tiger lilies." Leo smiled. "Your favorites."

Aya wrapped her arms around him again, thinking that nothing could possibly ruin this night. Leo hugged her back, saying, "I planted them there myself."

"They're beautiful."

"Just like you." He paused. "Aya?"

"Yes?" She could sense an unusual uncertainty in his voice. Normally Leo was confident and self-assured.

"I know we've just found each other again, and it might be too soon to ask this, but…" He pulled a case out of his pocket and opened it.

"Aya...will you marry me?"

Aya stood in shock for a moment as she processed what was happening. She teared up looking at the ring.

"Yes! Yes of course I'll marry you, Leo!"

The two walked back into the ballroom, Aya on Leo's arm. Everyone stared at them as Leo led Aya to the other side of the room. He let her go and stood in front of his throne.

"May I have your attention please?" Leo said. Anyone who wasn't already looking at him stopped what they were doing to pay attention. "I have a very special announcement to make this evening. Could Miss Aya Fergusund come here please?"

Aya slowly walked towards Leo, who held his arm out to her with a warm smile.

"I would like to introduce everyone to Aya Fergusund, my bride-to-be."

The whole room was dead silent for a few moments. Then someone started clapping. Someone else joined in. Then the entire room burst into applause. Well, except for two people. Courtney and Rhea were anything but ecstatic. Courtney stomped out of the ballroom, Rhea following close behind her.

"It's not fair!" Courtney screamed once they were outside the mansion. "I broke up with my boyfriend for him, and he decides to marry garden girl!" She placed back and forth.

"If he's that bad, then just forget about him." Rhea said dryly. She'd already gotten over not being picked. "Calm down bitch. There's plenty of fish in the sea. You'll find your one and only soon enough."

"Maybe you're capable of moving on that quickly, but the Prince was our ticket out of this dump! You don't understand how badly I want to leave this place!" Courtney shouted, enraged by Rhea's detachment.

"Whoa! Chill out girl!" Rhea said, taking a step back. She was taken aback by Courtney's emotion. She'd never seen her best friend get this angry about anything.

"It's all that stupid garden girl's fault!" Courtney screamed, now red in the face. "I'll destroy her for this!"

"You need to calm down, honey." Rhea said, trying to de-escalate the situation. It just made Courtney more upset.

"I DON'T NEED TO CALM DOWN!" Courtney was practically shrieking at this point. Rhea winced.

"Courtney, honey, stop shrieking. You're hurting your voice."

"I DON'T CARE! THAT BITCH WILL PAY FOR WHAT SHE DID!" Courtney stomped her feet on the ground and screamed.

Rhea had given up on trying to reign her best friend in. She decided to put her foot down. "Courtney Miriam Sarina!"

Courtney turned to look at Rhea. "What?!"

"We are not friends anymore." There was an air of finality to her voice now, her face stern and angry. "I refuse to listen to you throw another temper tantrum. You are 21 years old and behaving like you're five. Pull yourself together, and then I'll consider being your friend again."

Courtney's face turned to shock, and then to anger and sadness, then her pride got the best of her. "Fine! I don't need you anyways!" She turned her back on her now ex-best friend and pouted. Rhea walked away with an exasperated and dejected sigh. When Courtney realized what had happened, her eyes welled up with tears. She glared at nothing in particular and screamed, "JUST YOU WAIT, AYA! I'LL MAKE SURE YOU NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AGAIN!"

Meanwhile, Aya was thoroughly enjoying herself as she danced the night away with her fiance. She was completely and blissfully oblivious to the drama outside. She twirled, spun, stepped and whirled with the music, thinking that she’d finally found her happy ever after.

Days passed. Aya moved in with Leo, and they spent hours and hours catching up with each other. 11 years of separation gave them a lot to talk about. Their wedding would be held exactly one month after the ball. However, trouble was brewing in paradise. Courtney still hadn’t gotten over Aya and “her” Prince, nor had she gotten over Rhea. Rhea, meanwhile, had apologized to Aya and moved on. She hoped Courtney wouldn’t do anything stupid or rash in an attempt to get revenge.

Courtney had been plotting her revenge for weeks when she finally decided to strike. She’d been stalking Aya, memorizing her routine. Then, a week before the wedding, Courtney kidnapped Aya. She knocked the girl unconscious and dragged her to a cold, dark basement. She tied her victim to a chair which had been bolted to the floor and gagged her. There was no way Aya would be able to escape. The basement had only one entrance, which was kept locked at all times. Courtney had the only key to the basement door, and Aya had no way of getting it.

Leo first realized Aya was missing when she didn’t show up for dinner that night. He called his maids and guards and told them to search the property for Aya. When there was no sign of her, he got really worried. “Find her. Search every inch of every house in this town. Do not stop until you have found her.” He commanded. The Prince returned to his room, pacing back and forth. He would not rest until his love was returned to him. He’d lost her once already, eleven years ago. He wouldn’t lose her again.

Aya woke up in complete darkness. She couldn’t see anything. She tried to scream, but found she couldn’t. It was completely silent. The girl blacked out again.

Courtney had heard that Leo’s guards were looking for Aya. In a moment of panic, she dragged Aya out the back door of her house and into the woods. She untied her victim from the chair and tied her hands around a large tree root, then left her there to die. Courtney was safe now, and no one suspected a thing. Leo’s search of the town yielded nothing, not a single clue to Aya’s location. He was devastated.

Aya woke up again, her surroundings now illuminated by the pale light of the moon. She was in a forest, and there were trees all around her. Upon trying to stand up, Aya realized that her hands were tied. She was stuck. Now Aya began to panic. The forest around Marville, if that’s where she was, was incredibly dangerous at night. That was what Aya had been told all her life, that she shouldn’t go into the forest at night because there were dangerous beasts roaming the woods. But not all of them were bad.

When Aya was eight, soon after Leo had left, she’d gone exploring in the woods. She’d lost track of time and night had fallen, but she’d gotten lost and couldn’t find her way back to Marville. It had been a night much like this one, dark and cold, the only light provided by the moon. The wind had blown clouds in front of the moon, and Aya had gotten scared. She’d found some bushes and crawled underneath them, hiding. She’d wanted to just fall asleep and wake up in her room in Mrs. Fergusund’s house, with their cats Milo and Frey curled up on the foot of her bed. She’d felt tears rolling down her face, and she had curled up into a ball and cried for a long time, regretting that she hadn’t listened to Mrs. Fergusund’s warnings not to lose sight of Marville. Then she’d heard a rustling in the trees, and had gotten even more terrified. She’d curled tighter into herself, hoping that whatever was making the rustling wouldn’t find her. The sound had gotten closer and louder, until whatever it was was right on top of Aya. The thing making the sounds had been a large dog, but a shout made it freeze and look up. Aya had heard footsteps then, walking closer to the dog. She’d heard a voice say, “Did you find something, girl?”

The dog had barked, and the footsteps had quickened.

“What is it?”

The dog had pawed at the bushes where Aya had been hiding, and she froze completely, silently panicking. The footsteps had walked around the bushes, then stopped in front of Aya. The owner of the footsteps had bent down and seen Aya curled into a tight ball. A hand had reached towards her, accompanied by the words, “It’s okay, I won’t hurt you.”

Aya had reached her hand out to the stranger, who pulled her out of her hiding spot. She’d had a brief moment of panic before she realized that the stranger was a boy only slightly older than her. “Are you alright?” He’d asked. Aya was still too scared to speak. “What’s your name?”

“M-marv-ville,” she’d managed.

“Are you lost, Marville?” The boy’s eyes and voice had been full of concern. He’d noticed her staring at the dog. “Don’t worry, Angel won’t hurt you.”

“Y-yes, I’m l-lost. Where’s M-marville?” Aya had still been stuttering because she was cold. She’d shivered, and the boy had noticed.

“You’re cold, aren’t you?” He’d taken off his jacket and put it on her. “Aren’t you Marville?”

“I need to get back to Marville.” She’d said. “It’s my home.”

“What’s your name then?” The boy had looked confused.

“My name is Aya.”

“Well, Aya, do you know where Marville is?”

“No, not from here.”

“Which way did you come from?”

Aya had pointed behind him, to her right. “That way.”

“Okay, so let’s go that way. C’mon Angel.” He’d whistled to the dog, who’d run ahead of them the entire way back to the edge of the forest. They’d talked the whole way back, and Aya had noticed that when the boy talked, he always sounded like he had a million questions rattling around inside his head. Just then, the sun had started to rise over Marville. It was a beautiful sight, and Aya and the boy had watched the sun rise over the quiet town.

“I never got your name,” Aya had said as she was about to go back home.

“Devon. But I gave you a nickname, so you can give me one too.” He’d nicknamed Aya ‘Fireblossom’, as he thought her hair looked like a fireblossom, which was a flower from his home realm.

“I’ll call you…‘Midnight’. Like your hair.” She’d said, smiling at her new friend. His hair was jet black and fell to his shoulders. He’d smiled back, and then Aya had run off back towards her home, calling over her shoulder, “Bye Midnight! Bye Angel!”

He’d waved back, and Angel had jumped up and down, barking.

They’d met other times after that, always at the edge of the forest. There was a clearing close by where they’d always hang out, chasing each other and Angel through the grass or just lying on their backs and talking. Sometimes, he’d come over to her house. She’d been to his house exactly once, and it was a palace. Aya had learned that Devon was a prince that day, a real one. Not like Leo, who was only nicknamed “The Prince” because of his father’s wealth. She had also developed a crush on Devon. But then, Aya had entered high school, and she hadn’t been able to meet with Devon as much. They’d grown farther and farther apart, until Aya had just stopped going to the forest. She’d felt really guilty about leaving Devon without at least confessing her feelings, but school had gotten very demanding and she’d become absorbed in her studies before she’d had the chance.

Now Aya was sitting in the woods again, but this time she was tied to a root and couldn’t move. Clouds covered the moon, leaving her in darkness. Part of her wanted to call Devon’s nickname, but the other part of her didn’t want to attract any unwanted attention. She was exposed enough as it was. Then, she heard a rustling in the surrounding forest, and tensed up. Something was coming, and she had nowhere to hide. Aya hoped against hope that it was Devon or Angel, like that night eleven years ago. She also wished she was back in Leo’s mansion, cuddled up to him in bed. She desperately missed his comforting embrace that made everything okay. The source of the rustling got closer, and closer, and closer, until Aya could see what it was.

The clouds blew away from the moon, and its light illuminated a human figure. It had long, dark hair in a single braid, and it appeared to be male. It had a more muscular build than most females, at least. Aya pressed herself against the tree, trying to make herself invisible. At the sound of a twig snapping under Aya's foot, the figure looked over at her, and started coming closer. Another figure, presumably an animal, slowly followed it. The second figure looked like it might be a dog or a wolf, judging by its size. The human figure was now halfway across the clearing, where Aya could see its features in greater detail. It was definitely a male, and his stride was relaxed and confident, as if he knew the area. His hair was black, and he had pale bluish-purple eyes. His skin was pale, like snow, and almost seemed to glow in the moonlight. Aya was fairly certain that this was Devon. He had the right hair, the right eyes, and he wasn’t afraid of the woods.

The figure stopped a few feet away from her, looked at her for a bit, then muttered, “Fireblossom? Is that you?”

His voice sounded so familiar and curious, like he had a million questions he wanted to ask. Then it clicked. That was definitely Devon’s curious voice, albeit deeper and older. And his nickname for her, Fireblossom. No one else called her that.

“Midnight?” Aya almost whispered. His expression turned to joyous realization.

“Fireblossom! I missed you so, so much! You have no idea how much I missed you!” Devon knelt down and pulled Aya into a tight hug, and she wished she could hug him back.

“Nice to see you too, Midnight.” Then she felt a wet nose on the side of her face. She pulled away from Devon to see Angel looking at her. Aya let the dog lick her face. Angel was visibly older now, and she moved more slowly than Aya remembered, but the dog had lost none of her spunk. She still acted like an excited puppy, and knocked Aya onto her back.

“Hey, Midnight?” She said, sitting up as Angel calmed down. “Can you untie me?” Aya nodded towards her hands, which were still tied around the root.

“Of course!” He said, moving around her. “Who tied you up, anyway?”

“I don’t know. I must’ve still been blacked out. The last thing I remember before now is being in a cold, dark room. If I had to guess, I’d say it was a basement.” Aya shuddered at the memory.

“Well, you’re okay now. No one is going to hurt you on my watch.” Devon pulled Aya into another tight embrace, her back pressed against his chest and his arms around her waist. She leaned into him, feeling safe and comfortable. The girl smiled and rested her tanned hands on Devon’s pale ones. This was a nice feeling.

The two sat like that for a while, and Angel curled up next to them and rested her head on Aya's lap.

Eventually, Angel started whining. “What’s wrong, girl?” Devon asked. “Are you hungry?”

The dog barked in response, and Aya and Devon stood up. “Alright then, let’s go home. C’mon Fireblossom.” Devon said, walking in the direction they’d come from. Aya followed behind him, grateful that he was letting her stay with him.

“Hey, Midnight?” The redhead asked as they walked to Devon’s house.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry for, like, not talking to you for the past 5 years.”

Devon was silent for a moment. “It’s alright,” he said. Aya suspected he only half meant it. “I’m just glad I finally get to see you again.”

“Me too.”

Devon reached over and squeezed Aya’s hand. He looked over at her and noticed and uneasy, almost guilty expression on her face. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Alright, well, if something's bothering you, you can always talk to me."

"I know." Aya looked Devon in the eyes. "I'll tell you when we get to your house, okay?"

"Okay."

The two walked the rest of the way in silence, broken only by Angel sniffing bushes and the sound of their own footsteps. They passed through a hidden tunnel and emerged into a different world. Devon's home, the underworld.

Everything was red and black and there was an omnipresent reddish haze. Tortured screams came from all sides of the humongous cavern they were in. Right in front of them was a gargantuan palace, with jagged spires and tall, narrow windows. The entire building was made of a jet black, glassy stone like obsidian, but upon closer inspection, Aya discovered that there were faces in the stone, all twisted into expressions of fear and agony.

Aya had forgotten how imposing and intimidating Devon's palace was. She was captivated by its twisted beauty every time she saw it. Devon led Aya straight to his room, and they sat down on his four-poster bed. The canopy was open this time, Aya noticed. She distinctly remembered the canopy around Devon's bed being closed the last time she'd been in his room. Devon had gone into his demon form when they'd crossed into the underworld, glittering white horns protruding from his forehead and parting his bangs. He also had a rather large pair of white draconian wings on his back, and two thin, spade-tipped tails. Aya thought he looked quite dashing in his devil form. But she still had to tell him about Leo.

"So, what did you want to tell me?" Devon asked.

Aya tensed up a little, and started fidgeting with her necklace. This was one of her nervous tics, playing with the pendant Leo had given her.

Devon noticed this. "It's about him, isn't it?" Aya had told Devon about Leo when they were younger.

"Yeah." Aya took a deep breath. "We're engaged."

The devil prince was silent for a moment. "...What?"

"I'm engaged to Leo. It happened a couple weeks ago, at his party."

Silence.

"So why were you tied up in the forest." He said it like a statement, not a question. 

"I don't know, but I don't think he had anything to do with it. Leo's not like that." Aya's voice had a certainty to it, but Devon remained skeptical. "He's probably really worried about me. I need to get back!" Aya stood up, but Devon grabbed her arm.

"You're not going anywhere like this. You haven't eaten in at least 24 hours, and those ropes bruised your wrists, not to mention your hair is a mess. You can leave when you are in a condition to do so."

"Fiiine." Aya groaned, letting Devon pull her back into a sitting position. Devon let go of her arm and got up, causing Aya to sink further into the mattress.

"Stay here. I'll go get you something to eat. In the meantime, there are some pajamas laid out for you over there." He pointed to a dark colored desk in the corner of the room. Sure enough, there was a pile of neatly folded, comfy looking clothes sitting on the red velvet covering.

Aya obeyed and changed her clothes when Devon had left, looking around the room to pass the time when she finished. It was different than she remembered, but she couldn't quite put her finger on why. She figured that it had seemed more disorganized and chaotic the last time she'd visited, and maybe Devon had calmed down in the years since she'd last seen him. His demeanor certainly seemed more cool and collected.  _ Being the Prince of Hell would do that to you, I guess _ , Aya thought.  _ He probably has a lot of responsibilities _ .

A smile crept across her face as she noticed a psychology textbook on one of the carved obsidian tables. Aya had sneaked the book out of the school library in the 8th grade, and given it to Devon because she knew he loved reading about it. Mrs. Fergusund hadn't been too thrilled when she had to pay back the library for the cost of the book(20-ish dollars), and Aya had done extra chores for two weeks to work it off.

Aya also noticed that she couldn't hear the screams anymore. Maybe they were too high up, or maybe it was magic.

Devon came back with a plate full of steaming hot food and a goblet of water. He watched as Aya ravenously devoured all of it, then asked for more.

"I'm still hungry." The redhead said matter-of-factly, staring at Devon expectantly.

"Well, you can have more in the morning. Now come on, I'll show you to your room. You need to go to sleep." Devon stood up and held out a hand to Aya, who took it reluctantly.

"But I'm not tired," Aya complained. Just then she fell asleep with a yawn and collapsed onto Devon, who smiled.

“Not tired, eh?” He chuckled and carried Aya to her room, gently laying her down in her bed before turning to go to his own room.

She half woke up, and upon seeing Devon leaving, groggily said, “Where are you going?”

“Back to my room. Why?” Devon asked, turning around.

“Stay here. I don’t want to be alone,” Aya mumbled.

Devon hesitated. “Are you sure?” He asked her.

“Just come here,” she pleaded, making puppy eyes.

Devon relented with a sigh and laid down next to Aya. She snuggled up to the devil prince, her back facing him, resting her head on his chest.

“You make a nice pillow,” Aya murmured before falling asleep, a sweet smile on her face.

Devon subconsciously put an arm around the redhead’s delicate waist, muttering, “Heh. Night, Fireblossom,” before succumbing to his tiredness and also falling asleep, letting himself enter the abyssal world of his dreams.

Aya woke up the following morning to find herself in Devon’s arms. She immediately turned red and wriggled out of his embrace.  _ Why is he even here? _ The girl wondered.  _ Did I ask him to stay? _ She sat up and stared at him for a moment. Devon yawned and opened his eyes, Aya’s movement having woken him.

“Morning, Fireblossom.” He sat up and stretched.

Aya stood up, also stretching. “Morning, Midnight.”

“Sleep well?”

“Yeah. Did I ask you to stay last night?”

“Mhm.”

“Sorry.”

“No problem.”

“You do make a good pillow, though.” Aya giggled, making Devon smile.

“Thanks, shortie.”

“I’m not short, you’re just tall!” Aya crossed her arms and pouted.

“Sure.” Devon laughed. He stood up and walked to the door. “There should be some clothes for you in the closet, and the bathroom is two doors down on the right.” The devil prince left Aya’s room, and she looked through the closet.

She found an outfit she liked: a crimson, short sleeved dress with a v-shaped neckline and a skirt that parted midway down her left thigh and tapered off halfway down her right calf, a pair of black leather wedge heeled ankle boots, and a black shrug.

Aya brought the clothes with her into the bathroom, and set them on one of the obsidian and white marble counters. She undressed and got into the shower, her body relaxing as the warm water cascaded over her. The girl lost all sense of time passing, and after an hour or so of hearing the shower running, Devon peeked in to make sure Aya was alright. He saw her in the shower, and she noticed him looking at her.

“Get out, you perv!” She exclaimed, blushing hard and trying to cover herself with her arms.

“Sorry, sorry!” Devon apologized, embarrassed. He had also started blushing, the red and pink shades invading his cheeks more noticeable against his snowy-white skin. The door slammed shut quickly and Devon retreated back to his room. Aya lowered her hands, finished her shower, dried off, and got dressed. She liked how her chosen outfit looked on her, and did a couple of poses in front of the mirror to admire her sense of fashion.

She exited the bathroom and headed for her room. Devon had said he would bring her food and then they would go on a walk through the palace, so Aya sat down in one of the chairs in a corner of the room. A few moments later, Devon arrived with a plate of food and a goblet of water, as promised. He also had a plate for himself, but there was much more food on Aya’s plate.

They ate in silence and Devon called a servant to take their dishes when they’d finished. He walked Aya around his palace, showing her all the important rooms and talking about old memories. For lunch, Devon took Aya to a cafe in the city he ruled. Aya asked him about the screams she'd heard the day before, and he explained that the screams could only be heard at certain times on certain days. The two spent the rest of the afternoon flying around the city and catching up on 5 years of separation. Before they realized it, the city lights turned on, meaning it was night time again. A whole day had already passed, which made Aya nervous. As much as she loved talking to Devon, she also really wanted to get back to Leo.

"Devon, I need to go back soon." Aya said, looking down at the devil prince. "Leo's probably really worried about me, and I want to go back to him. He's my fiancé. I should be with him." She paused. "I'm going to see him tomorrow morning." There was the same certainty in her voice, the certainty that Leo was still waiting for her.

"Already?" Devon's wings drooped a little. He didn't want Aya to leave him again. She'd only just gotten here.

"I'm sorry."

He flew her back to the palace in silence and they headed to their respective rooms. Aya changed into her pajamas and went to sleep. She dreamed that she was in Leo's house again, being held in Leo's arms. Then he morphed into Devon, and Aya stepped back. Leo/Devon melted into a black goop that surrounded Aya. She thought she heard whispers coming from the goop, and leaned in to hear what it was saying. "Choooose, Ayaaaa. Choooose one of usssss." Aya screamed and woke up, sitting bolt upright in her bed. It took her a moment to realize that she'd been dreaming. Devon came through the door moments later, a look of panic on his face.

"Are you alright? I heard a scream!" He stopped just inside the doorway, panting. His expression relaxed when he saw that Aya was okay.

"I'm fine. It was just a nightmare, no biggie." Aya smiled, and Devon sighed with relief.

"Thank goodness. Well, it's morning now. You have to go see your fiancé today, remember?" Devon's face fell at those last few words.

"Oh, right!" Aya scrambled out of bed, not noticing the sudden change in Devon's attitude. He left her to get dressed, and she found a black and white knee length sundress with matching white wedge sandals.

She devoured her breakfast and was practically jumping up and down with excitement. Finally, she would return to her fiancé and get her happily ever after. But her excitement was short-lived.

When she walked into Leo's and her room, she saw him making out with...herself? It was someone who looked like her, for sure, but Aya was standing right here, watching Leo make out with this...copycat.

"L-leo?" She said, still confused.

He looked up and his expression turned into bewilderment upon seeing Aya.

"Am I seeing double or something?" He blinked, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

"Baby, she's copying me~!" The copycat whined. Aya recognized that voice from countless taunts and teasings.

"Courtney?" Aya mumbled, still confused.

"What are you talking about? This is Aya!" Leo exclaimed, gesturing towards Courtney.

"She's not me, Leo! I'm the real Aya!" Aya exclaimed indignantly.

"No, baby she's lying! She wants to take you from me!" Courtney whined, a pleading look on her face.

Leo stood up. "Get out of here, you copycat!" He gestured at Aya to leave, and a victorious smirk crept across Courtney's face. She'd won. But Aya also smiled. She took off her necklace with the pendant Leo had given her and her engagement ring, holding them in her hand. She threw both of them on the floor.

"Have fun with your new girlfriend, Goldie. See you never." Aya said triumphantly before turning and running outside.

Those words, the necklace, and the ring made Leo realize what he'd done. But it was too late. Aya was already in the forest. Leo fell to his knees, crying. He'd lost her. Courtney tried to talk to him, calm him down, but he lashed out at her.

"This is all your fault, you stupid, pathetic bitch! You made me lose her! I HATE YOU!" He slapped Courtney's hand away from him and pushed her onto the ground, before running out of the house into his garden. He didn't have any choice but to marry Courtney now.

Aya, meanwhile, had run so far into the forest that she didn't recognize where she was. When she finally stopped, she just fell to her knees and started screaming for Devon.

He came seconds later, Angel limping along behind him. The dog sensed Aya's distress, and wanted to help her in any way it could. Angel licked Aya's face until the tears stopped flowing and she fell asleep. Devon carried her all the way back to his room in the castle, where he laid her down in his bed. Angel curled up in her bed in the corner, and Devon got into bed next to Aya, who snuggled up to him again.

The next morning, Aya woke up to Devon holding a plate of warm food and a goblet of water. She sat up in bed and Devon fed her bites of food.

"Do you want to tell me what happened?" He asked when she'd finished.

"Okay." Aya recounted everything that had happened since she'd left. She'd gone to see Mrs. Fergusund first, and explained everything to her, then she'd gone to see Leo. Aya recalled the painful experience with Courtney and Leo, before arriving at the end of the story, when she'd run into the forest.

Devon stared at her for a moment before responding, "Wow. I'm really sorry you had to go through that."

"It's fine." Aya replied. "I'll get over it."

"If you say so. But you're staying here from now on. I'm not losing you again." Devon cupped Aya's face in his hands, looking her in the eyes.

"Alright." Aya agreed, smiling. She put her hands over Devon's. His skin felt warm to the touch, not cold like she always imagined it. Devon smiled back. The wind picked up, blowing cherry blossoms around them. They looked beautiful in the moonlight, and gave Devon the last little bit of courage he needed.

He leaned in and kissed Aya. She was surprised, but closed her eyes and kissed back. She felt Devon's arms move down to her waist, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Aya felt her lips part as Devon's warm, soft tongue entered her mouth. She put her tongue in his mouth too, the two intertwining for a few minutes as Aya and Devon's cheeks reddened. They could almost feel their hearts beating as one, united in true, undying love.

They parted the kiss, gasping for air. Devon looked into Aya's eyes and asked, "Will you be my girlfriend, Fireblossom?"

Aya looked at him, tears of joy welling up inside her eyes. "Yes, of course Midnight!"

She kissed him again, pulling him closer to her body. He kissed back, and they spent the rest of the afternoon kissing, hugging, sweet talking, and cuddling.

A year and six months later, at their wedding, Aya is two months pregnant. She has a spectacular outfit: A gorgeous, white satin dress with an intricately decorated lace neckline, a bodice covered in golden lace, sleeves that puff out at the shoulders and reach down to the backs of her hands, and a skirt that parts at her knees and trails behind her on the floor and is covered in layers of sparkly golden mesh, a pair of sparkly white wedge heels with ankle straps, and a golden silk sash tied around her waist. Aya looks like a goddess.

Angel is on her last legs. The dog stands by the couple as they say their vows, and officially become husband and wife. Angel passes away ten months later, but not before Aya has her first child, a beautiful baby girl. She and Devon decide to name her Angel, after the sweet dog that has been with them for so many years.

Twelve years later, Angel is twelve and has two ten year old twin siblings, a girl named Carmen and a boy named Walter. Aya and Devon are still married and very much in love, and they lived happily ever after.

The end.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know when it will be finished as we don't have a deadline yet, but my friends and I are doing another cliche story contest, this time with dystopias. I will likely publish that story here after the contest, so be on the lookout for it in the coming weeks. It's called 'Of Magic and Monsters', and I'm really excited to share it here when it's finished.


End file.
